So Why Do You Own THAT Bike?

[Goofy Footer 539]

I'm curious to know why you own the bike(s) the individual bikes in your garage!

I'm looking for a little more detail than why you down motorcycles in general (although I'd love to hear that too) - I want to hear why you chose the bikes in your garage! Do you like a certain type of riding, do you like a certain manufacturer designs, do you prefer a certain engine size? Was the bike given to you, did you grow up riding a certain brand, do you have an itch for vintage? Do you race, do you like air cooled, do you like tech or do you prefer simplicity? Do you like technical mountain trails or prefer the open desert? Do you like multiday rides or prefer single day missions?

Some people in the club have a bunch of bikes, I'd love to hear what about them makes you proud owner. I hope this starts a fun discussion!

[dirt dame 561]

I like Italian bikes, so that's why I have three Husqvarnas from Italy. They are strikingly beautiful machines that are a cut above other machines at being exotic. They are also well engineered and very rugged and reliable. I have the TE 450 because it is a good size for riding more pavement, if necessary. I have a WR300 for lots of torque, and a WR125 for wafer light handling, but both will handle a variety of offroading from track time to singletrack, really versatile. And two strokes will always be my favorite type of dirt ride.

I have had a 1986 KDX 200 ever since it was new (well, I sold it once, but got it back a couple of years later). I will never get rid of it, and it will be what I will still be riding after all the other bikes are gone. It is just a friendly little machine that can do a variety of things, including street, since I got it plated in 1990.

[bikeslut 1]

I have modest needs...I want a good, dependable, and low maintenance bike, with easy parts availability, "enough performance", etc.

I have tried many bikes over the years, and certain bikes just fit me well; the DRZ, KLR, and XRL. unfortunately, those are also pretty similar in role.

[Wintyfresh 46]

I had an XL250 I bought because I'd received some money as a birthday present and saw it sitting in front of Scott Brown's.

I bought my DRZ because I had a couple of friends who liked theirs. I enjoy the large aftermarket, affordable parts, and jack of all trades nature the bike has.

I picked up the YZ because I wanted something lighter for riding sand, it was cheap, and I'd always been curious about 2-strokes.

[robertaccio 412]

I ride Huskys because I'm weird like that.

310 x-lite series, 125 size chassis, supple CrMo semi perimeter chassis, easy to work on, single track and more extreme terrain capable, much more torque than a 250 F, much lighter feel than a 450, 3 World Enduro Championships platform, High quality components from EU and Japan, ZipTy Racing modified, and most of all not cookie cutter-the smaller underdog brand from Italy (well it was anyway)what DirtDame said.

[tsr 0]

I'm a street rider, first. I got into the dirt awhile back via a CR250 but changed to a 4-stroke, the style I was used to from the street. I had changed to an XR400, a bike that I liked quite a bit, but kicking it became a chore so I went with what I felt was similar but with the magic button - the DRZ400S. This bike is not the fastest, lightest (!) nor the "trickest," but it gets many a job done from day trips to OHV parks, to DS riding on fire roads to light off-road touring. At my riding ability, this is what I want - reliable and not high-maintenance.

I also have a V-Strom 650 that I went to from a decidedly more street oriented bike (Kawasaki Z750S). This 650 has seen limited dirt usage though it's mostly used chasing the yellow ribbon of the tarmac. I plan to use this bike for some light touring where the roads may be paved or graded dirt, whatever comes along.

[tlking6 0]

I have modest needs...I want a good, dependable, and low maintenance bike, with easy parts availability, "enough performance", etc.

I have tried many bikes over the years, and certain bikes just fit me well; the DRZ, KLR, and XRL. unfortunately, those are also pretty similar in role.

You'd love a 610

I felt like I threw the dice a bit when I bought my Husky. First year run with the FI and all, but I'm glad I did because I've been stoked with this bike. I was looking for a commuter first but something that was worthy to jump in on DS and bikepacking trips. More of a dirt oriented adventure bike. I've still got my KTM to get my green sticker fix but the truth is, besides as a loaner on a couple Baja trips, its pretty much been sitting ever since. What I like about the Husky is like you said. It fits me well, reliable, low maintenance and pretty easy to work on. Real comfortable zipping through traffic and not all buzzed out at freeway speeds. I'm not pounding woops on it but its definitely dirt worthy. I've had it places I probably shouldn't of. Moto Forza is right down the street and those guys take great care of me,, especially since I cooked tacos for them at our last meeting!

I'm resisting the temptation to join the big KTM twin crowd however Mikes S model is making me squirm a bit,,

[tntmo 902]

I buy bikes from other SDAR members. I figure if they were good enough for them, they are probably good enough for me.

[Crawdaddy 96]

My signature states each bikes purpose (plus I'm responding via phone and don't feel like typing - ha!).

[TrophyHunter 15]

The WR450 was my re-entry to dirt after the last bike being an '83 IT 490. Great bike and never should've sold it but I had 4, plus 2 quads, plus toy box. The reg and insurance was killin' me. I stumbled into the DR650 while looking for a light 250 trail bike and have made it into my do all....except sand - with me on it anyway.

Just picked up the plated DRZ-250 which has the same air/oil cooled simple platform. 250 pounds and feels like a bicycle after the DR. Not powerful, but fun.

Road King is the weekend 2 Up after I sold my Strom to son Dave who is commuting on it.

tntmo has 2 of my former bikes - the WR passed through BS 1st.

[ThumperBob 21]

I have a vintage 1970 RT1 360cc Yamaha Enduro that I rebuilt into a very good dependable rider. I enjoyed working on it to get it back on the road as much as riding it. I have ridden it all over San Diego county. I enjoy the looks on peoples faces when they remember the bike from the 1970's. (It starts up a lot of conversations.)

I now own a 2012 KLR that I can ride greater distances. Love to work on it also. What a sweet bike!!

[Bagstr 288]

"I have a vintage 1970 RT1 360cc Yamaha Enduro that I rebuilt "

Excellent!

[Guest Crusty]

I broke all my toys in the first week when I was younger.

At the age of 9 I got a Honda 50, only toy I couldn't break.

I have owned most brands, best experiences, with Honda.

parts in 3 days or less.most reliable, bullet proof.

The bikes I own share a lot of the same parts.

They say it's 90% rider and 10% bike.

Choose reliability, become a better rider.

Spend what you save on beer.

[Bagstr 288]

[Bubbagums 42]

First bike was a red Yamaha back in 1969 or 1970. Lots of Yamahas after that. Gap in riding in the 80's. Started riding again in the 90's with some old school Yamahas that I picked up real cheap for myself and son. 2 smoke yz250 after that...then moving to a couple of xr400's (still have one) and loved them except for kick starting. A client gave me my 525 EXC which bled from every orifice on the bike...forks, engine, brakes, clutch, gas. Figured out all the problems, love the bike and power. Good bike for an old lazy rider just using the fist. Had some others.

[ADV Bum 205]

I chose my bikes for price, dependability and durability. I always like the Air Cooled for simplicity. Seems they can handle a lot of crashes and still get you home. Parts are cheap and abundant. Starting with the bullet proof base one can modify to their hearts desire and create any level of performance machine one would like.

[bikeslut 1]

Sweet plate Michael!

Surprised the DR fits you well at your height...mine felt cramped,and the DRZ is much roomier

That being said: I agree with your air-cooled statements...basically bulletproof except for long hot singletrack and in traffic. they DO overheat, and don't let you know it's happening

[ADV Bum 205]

Sweet plate Michael!

Surprised the DR fits you well at your height...mine felt cramped,and the DRZ is much roomier

That being said: I agree with your air-cooled statements...basically bulletproof except for long hot singletrack and in traffic. they DO overheat, and don't let you know it's happening

Thanks

I have made modifications.

Oil temp dipstick, vapor readout and oil cooler add ons

[FuzzyNugs 0]

Can I chime in from VA still?

Back in '09 I was overseas in some dirty Babylonian country and a friend kept telling me how much fun motorcycling was. Then I got my hands on Long Way Round/Down and marathoned them in my hooch. Looked like fun to me. So when I got back I bought a small Suzuki S40 cruiser and loved it. My friend, a Harley rider, picked up a DR350 and rode this Land Between the Lakes 200 "dual sport" event in TN...I had never heard of such a thing, but it sounded awesome.

So when I got the chance to move to San Diego I knew I had to get a dual sport. I liked the KLR650 because it was the most popular mainstream bike that I knew of. After a little research I concluded that it was too big to learn on..but in my mind I still wanted a KLR. Soon enough I found my KLR250 and picked it up. At first I would just plow around the easy dirt roads in SD. I had a lot of fun on it, but after doing a few club rides, campouts, and then the Desert Dash I realized I needed some more ponies under the seat.

Sat on a DR650 at the motorcycle show in DC and it was a perfect match. Low seat height, bigger engine, and pretty basic easy to work on technology(air/oil cooled). The bike not only satisfied my desire for something stronger/faster, but also something that could go on the highway to actually get places. Within a month I ditched my long distance GF and bought my DR. Haven't regretted it since. It has taken me to so many new places in CA and Baja and really works well to combine motorcycling with exploration. I've also been in a few spots over my head though(literally) where I wished for a lighter more nimble bike.

I do have regrets with the KLR though and wish I had done more research or asked questions here first. If I could do it again I would have gone for a DR350 to start. Also having ridden with many different SDAR/ADV folks, I am definitely yearning for a sip of that orange stuff..but for now, I still like my bikes.

I managed to bring both back east to VA where the riding sucks. I imagine they will both suit me well here in the suburban/metro DC area. Once this snow goes away and the temp rises a bit, I'll be sure to share a pic or two of how the trails fair out this way.

[BSon2or4 28]

Well... It started with a Yamaha 1970 JT1 50cc at age 12, easy enough to work on for me at that age. Between then and the graduation from high school I went through the DT line up, all 1970 models to the 250cc with a 1978 Suzuki RM125 thrown in there for a little contrast. I liked the simplicity of the bikes when it came to maintenance and repairs. Fast forward to 2003 and the Cedar Fire. There went the stable and steeds among other things. Time came to spruce up the landscape, enjoyed the Yamaha products, so I got the Grizzly 660 4x4 and a few landscaping attachments to clean up the debris. Fast forward a little more, now living in Escondido and don't get out nearly enough with the Grizzly and missing the fun of 2 wheels. One day I was at NCY for some parts for the quad and cut straight through passing by the line up of dual sports. The XT and the WR caught my eye. I researched them both and went for the fuel injection and that's where I'm at now with the WR250R and couldn't be happier as I'm just looking to have a little fun. It's not the lightest, the fastest, or the most popular... like me, but it goes.

[Afry 1]

After owning somewhere around 50 bikes in my riding lifetime of 40+ years I have just 2 at the moment. From mini bikes to mx'ers to road racers to street bikes - I love them all and have no brand loyalty.

The 950SE was an impulse buy at the auction with intent to flip and I can't let it go. A KLR650 will do similar rides but not as fast or as fun (but a lot cheaper lol). The bike will do way more then I can as far as single track but I like that I can ride a half day of freeway in comfort then ride all but the real technical stuff when I get there. It hauls all you need to camp in comfort but can pass a semi truck on the road like a crotch rocket. So far it has been very dependable and not a service whore (gotta love that twin).

I bought a fixer plated 525 for desert dash type fun but it has sat in my garage not getting love until recently because I am always out riding the SE, I plan on riding it at the DD. I may or may not keep it after that.

[Yeti 0]

I learned to ride on a Honda Trail 90 that my dad would haul around to SDMRT trainings.

I rode street (including racing) until I saw, wait for it . . ., Long Way Round. As soon as I saw that series it was like a veil was lifted and I decided I had to do that. Or something like it, but local. Since then I've owned every GS from the 1100 on. Two 1100's, a 1200 that I turned into an adventure, an 800 and now the "original" LWR bike, the Silver R1150GS Adventure. In my job I travel throughout California, everything Fresno and south I do by bike. I need a bike that eats freeway miles, is easy to maintain and can go in the dirt. I'm not sure if there's another bike that meets those criteria, and certainly none do it as well as the GSA. It's taken my all around the southwest (AZ, UT, NV, CA), down to Baja and all over SoCal for work.

The dirt bikes: My first "dirt" bike was an XR650L that I picked up cheap off eBay. I wanted to be able to ride out in Ocotillo with my friends, so I got the XRL without doing enough(any) research. My friends were all on KTM 2 strokes and there was no way I could keep up. So I sold the XRL and bought a JCR training bike that had been retired, an XR650R that was plated. It was a vast improvement but while I could keep up I the desert, I got left behind in the single track. So I sold the 650R and was dirt bikeless for a little while. Then I found an XR400R that had been left sitting for two years that the guy sold me for $400. Did I mention it was plated with current registration?? I re-built that guy and loved it for being bullet proof and simple, but still couldn't keep up. So I sold that and got my current bike, a 2008 KTM 450EXC-R. I got the 2008 because it was a problematic year and I knew I could get the bike for cheap and then upgrade all the bad parts for 2010 parts and I'd have my rocket ship. So after about 10 hours in the garage, I finally have a bike that I can keep up with my buddies on. BRAAAAPPPPP!!!!! (Plus it's street legal from the factory!)

Lastly, I have the '04 625SXC. I honestly don't know why I have this bike. Honestly. A friend needed to pay off some legal work I'd done for him, and he convinced me I needed this bike more than the cash. :wacko:/> Anyways, I learned that I could put an Adventure tank and fairing on it and it would be the perfect Adventure bike for Baja and around San Diego's back country!! The only problem is that I've stalled out on finishing it. I think it's called "Mission Creep." I have all the parts, have welded a bracket on the head tube for the fairing and then . . . nothing. So it sits. Someday I guess I'll get motivated enough to finish it.

[Bagstr 288]

GF,

So, are you writing a book in your spare time?

After a decade away from bikes raising kids and starting a business, this was a perfect re-entry bike. Followed my imagination exploring the

Back-country two lanes and discovering moto online communities. Sweet bevel drive single cam motor. Lousy twin shock rear end. If I lived

In Julian or Pine Valley, I would never have given it up. Obviously a Triumph Bonneville knock-off.

[Goofy Footer 539]

Thanks for the stories and pics - awesome stuff guys!

:good:/>

[Goofy Footer 539]

The main moto in my stable is a plated DRZ400E. It's taken me from Death Valley, to the Baja Rally and from SD-Vegas. Nothing fancy about it but it performs. I recently put a FMF Q4 pipe on it and it's still loud during long rides but I found an insert that will quiet it down some. Stock motor, constant oil and air filter maintenance. The original stator was faulting when I got the bike, I had an aftermarket one installed but that one was compromised due to a failure in the aftermarket regulator which was installed with the first replacement stator. Both have been perfect since. It has the regular protection and armor installed along with a sweet Baja Designs Squadron light. The original Baja Designs dualsport kit is junk and will soon be replaced with a Tusk harness and some Highway Dirtbikes switches. I replaced the original clutch with a Tusk clutch kit but after a few grueling rides, the shifting is notchy even with fresh oil. I'll tinker with the cable adjustment. I dream of a wide ratio gear box for more adventures and am very much aware that the DRZ isn't a racebike.

The bike was my first 4 stroke and first dualsport. I had ridden my CR125 a handful of times before I bought this. It was super clean when I bought it and I got a smoking deal on it. At the time I admittedly didn't know much about dualsports, I was hesitant to buy this bike but I made it to the seller within a couple of hours after he posted it. While I was checking out the bike, wondering why it was so heavy and tall, wondering if I would like it, wondering how the heck I would even get it home.. two guys come and check it out and started talking about baja this and that. One guy hops on the bike, asks the seller about suspension upgrades and the seller looks at me and says point blank, "ok kid, you were here first - do you want the bike or not".

Sold! The other guys were pissed. The dude got off my new bike and they left. 3+ years later I cannot think of a better first dualsport to get.

I completed grad school and a few months into my "career job" I began searching for the "perfect bike" which led me to an ultra clean KTM525. It just wasn't my cup of tea so I sold it to an SDAR regular (who's birthday it is today btw). I was bummed by the ordeal and well... while at C&D Cycle one day I saw a WR250F sitting on their floor - consignment, reasonably priced, they had done the maintenance on it and it had some nice mods. Having sold my CR125 to fund life during grad school, I always wanted something light and sporty. It had a plate, I was SOLD! It's been fun at the vet track and is nice and light but does have some short legs in the open desert. I plan on putting it through its paces some more.

I thought I was set on bikes but then one day I got a call about a very clean WR450. I thought about that one for a while and ran some numbers in my head and I think I can possibly do it, it absolutely won't be smart but if I eat ramen and recycle my cans maybe I can do it. F-it, its clean, I'd like to try one out - what the heck, SOLD! Again, another great deal and it helped the owner out. I still haven't rode it in the dirt yet unfortunately, fitting the darn radiator guards with the aftermarket tank is a freaking pain the arse! Who knows if I'll like it, will it ever replace the DRZ - who knows. I plan on doing some serious dirt testing on it before I draw any conclusions.

So now I'm in way too deep - I have too many bikes (I haven't even mentioned the KTM200 and TW200 occupying space in my garage)... but again I get a call for a super low mileage DR650. I had voiced that it would be nice to moto commute and the desire to do some long distance adventure riding on the forum and... 800 miles on the DR650, some nice upgrades on it and a very solid price. The guy says he has 16 voicemails of people willing to buy the bike. I was the first person to call him. It broke my bank but.. SOLD! Now, it turns out the owner has a ton of super trick aftermarket parts. Now I really start to rationalize it in my head, I have so many motos... I could sell a few and make this one tricked out DR... Needless to say I got the parts - I'll count the beans when the dust settles after the Great Moto Purge of 2014 and see if I planned everything on excel correctly. I bought the bike and one week later went here:

Do I still want more bikes? Heck yes!

Do I need to sell some to survive? Heck yes!

Will that stop me from wanting to ride/own more in the future? Heck no!

Do I want a thumper street tracker? Heck yes!

Do I want a big fuel injected monster to blitz to Miami to ride with bboyle and race down the Keys? Heck yes!

Do I want to rip the tip all the way to Cabo? Heck yes!

Do I want to ride around the Grand Canyon? Heck yes!

Do I want to ride the TAT? Heck yes!

Is there a such thing as the "perfect motorcycle" ? Heck no!

Does more motorcycles make you happier? Possibly...

What's better than a garage full of motorcycles? How about Riding one, on a long dirt road with no stoplights and beautiful scenery.. with your buddies in tow and giving it a handful of throttle!! Braaaap!